Almost a quarter of Australian children and adolescents are now classed as either overweight or obese. That poses a serious public health concern, especially since childhood weight problems often continue into adulthood, increasing the risk of heart disease, Type II diabetes, asthma and orthopaedic problems. Research conducted at UWA estimates that up to 80 per cent of children with weight problems have mothers who are either overweight or obese. UWA researchers are now trying to tackle the obesity epidemic from a new angle – by targeting treatment at overweight mothers of overweight children.
